What to do if I hate my job?

Several surveys indicate that a large part of the world’s population is not satisfied with their work (between 40% and 60%). So disliking or hating the job is not uncommon. In this text, we will talk about this difficulty and ways to get out of the vicious circle of not liking it but having to work.

work and need

Mark Twain, an excellent and funny American writer, once said, “Work is a necessary evil to be avoided.” As with many of his witty one-liners, he said something that a lot of people can agree on. If you could choose between not working and working, who would choose to work?

I think a lot of people would agree that few people would get up on a Monday morning if they could live as if their life were like a vacation. That is, work ends up being experienced as a necessary evil. Working is a necessity to, among other things, pay the bills.

Money linked to work is what we call positive reinforcement in behavioral psychology. It is the consequence that work provides that increases and/or maintains behavior. This relationship becomes clear if the salary stops being paid. Who would go to work if they weren’t paid at the end of the day, week or month?

Work and education or experience

When we psychologists go to a job interview and get a resume, we come across two types of basic information: schooling and experience.

Education or schooling is the part of the curriculum that describes how much we study. Have a high school, a college, courses like computer science or English.

Experience is the amount of time we dedicate to an area of ​​expertise, what we did in previous jobs, which we will certainly have the ability or capacity to do in a new one.

What is curious is that education and schooling that, at first, would be sources of contentment, status or personal identity, can become one of the currents that imprison us in a professional position.

For example, if I do a degree in law, I’ll be a lawyer. But if, after 5 years working as a lawyer, I realize that I don’t want to be a lawyer anymore, maybe I’ll be “stuck” in training since training brings me a certain sense of stability, dignity, social status and probably a better salary than if I didn’t have the degree. (I’m talking about law here, but it could be any other graduation or technical course).

The same happens when we have a lot of experience in an area. Let’s say, if I’ve worked 10 years as an outside salesperson, I might also get “hooked” on this role and find it difficult to find ways to get out into other areas.

What to do if I hate my job?

Well, the first thing to do is recognize this fact. And, like everything, there are gradations and different reactions. We may not like our role, but we can tolerate it and it may not affect us as much. On the other hand, in an extreme situation, the fact of hating the professional day to day can lead us to serious mental or physical disorders.

So, the beginning is to recognize what is happening and our reactions – if they are light, if we can bear it – or if it is reaching the limit of unbearable.

That done, we must understand that we have a choice. There is always a choice. And it’s simple to visualize that if we hate our job, we have two basic options:

– stay in that job

– find another job

It may seem obvious and meaningless to say this, but it is important to note that there is choice. But… but, what do I do? This “but…” is what ends up keeping the job going:

– But, I need the money.

“But, I have a family to support. I have bills to pay

– But, I only got this vacancy.

– But, I’m trained in that.

– But, I have only this kind of experience.

The question is: how to solve all these “buts”?

Plans for the transition

Amazingly, there are relatively simple alternatives:

– If you have a formal contract, you can look for other jobs during your breaks, outside working hours and especially during the vacation period

– If you have a degree, you can look for alternatives in your area of ​​training. Most colleges allow you to work in more than one field. You can also take courses in that other area, such as specialization courses (postgraduate) or, initially, find opportunities that pay less, but allow you to transition from one area to another.

– Likewise, if you have a lot of experience in an area: assess whether it is not the company or sector that is bothering you (or your boss). You can make the transition by studying to gain knowledge in another field of activity or perhaps getting more beginner jobs to make the switch for good.

Plans for transition involve steps:

– define another area of ​​activity (since this is not always clear, you may need to do Professional Guidance or Career Coaching to find out).

– define whether the change will be sudden (from one hour to another) or whether it will be gradual (keeping two jobs simultaneously or a job in one area and studying in another)

– make the transition. Stop thinking and doing.

Remembering that, sometimes, the transition comes from the outside to the inside, as in layoffs.

Conclusion

When we put these “but this or that”, without knowing it, we are choosing to continue, justifying ourselves. Of course, we may need the money or have doubts about what is the best way forward. However, one thing is certain: if we keep thinking and justifying, we’ll stay where we are, won’t we?

Why it’s important to remember:

– the money earned in one profession can be acquired in another profession

– Staying in a role because you have experience means continuing to have experience in an area that you don’t want to have experience with and this is a vicious circle.

(Imagine that if you have 5 years of experience now and you don’t like what you do, 5 years from now you will have 10. It will probably be easier to get a job, but it will be a job in an area you don’t like now and probably won’t like in 5 years).

– a diploma is just a diploma. It is a paper that indicates that you have studied and have certain knowledge and skills. A degree shouldn’t be like a brand that defines you for life. When we go to college, we are one way. After a few years, we grow and it can happen that we don’t have the same kind of interest as before.

Questions, suggestions, comments, write below!

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